A Gastonia Blog

Blog of Gaston Gazette Online Editor Kevin Ellis

Driving on Union Road on Tuesday afternoon made me appreciate more the job GEMS does every day. The ambulance, with its lights on and siren blaring, was headed north on Union Road. But few people would pull over or even get in the right-hand lane to help. The driver moved along as best as possible, and then had to come to a stop at the light on Garrison Boulevard. I’m not sure what the problem was with drivers, but the… Read More »

This is a story from the FBI files. In October 2012, a young woman was arrested by police in Ashland, Ohio for shoplifting a candy bar. But when she explained why she stole the candy, her story concerned the officers, and, eventually—after additional information was obtained—the Cleveland FBI opened a federal investigation into the matter. It turned out that the young woman, who was cognitively disabled, was being held against her will and forced to perform manual labor for a… Read More »

Here are seven crazy examples of laws and Home Owners Association rules. This was borrowed from Coldwell Banker Meca Realty website. Even celebrities such as Earvin “Magic” Johnson and Samuel L. Jackson can be at odds with an HOA. Here are seven crazy examples of laws and HOA rules: 1. Can’t park your car in your own driveway. In Odessa, Fla., a resident was fined by his board for parking his pickup truck in his own driveway because it wouldn’t… Read More »

Part of my job over the last couple of days has been collecting school photos from readers and getting them into the paper. The Gazette has received dozens of them and it’s been fun looking at them. A few people have responded by sending my an email thanking me for getting them into the paper. And that’s nice. But it’s also inaccurate. As with most endeavors there are other people just as responsible, if not more, for getting the school… Read More »